Horoscopes for April 18, 2013

On the last day of the Aries sun this year, consider utilizing the Aries energy to push your body in the pursuit of new activities. You may not find that you’re stronger, faster and more capable than you know, but you will see the promise of something that can be effectively developed over the upcoming solar Taurus transit.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). A fun mood prevails, emboldening you to be socially proactive. You’ll ask questions of total strangers, get into interesting conversations and bring people together, too.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ll be deep without realizing it. People will think about the things you say hours or even weeks from now. The best part is that you’re not trying to be profound. You’re just telling it like you see it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have a gift you can share with others, but if you don’t realize what it is, it will be hard to give it. Take extra time to know yourself. What do you think your gifts and talents really are?

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Have you ever thought a bruise was healed, only to accidentally hit the same place again and realize it’s still tender? Letting go of resentment is a healing process, too, and it takes time.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In using your time, energy and vitality very well, you let others know that you’re in control of your life. They will not try to derail you or distract you, because they see the futility in that.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Laughter is like water. You need it daily in order to keep on keeping on. The cosmic gift of the day comes in the form of a funny person – or someone who makes you feel funny.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The reason you don’t complain about a problem isn’t that you’re above such things. You’re just being practical in directing your energy toward more positive aspects of your life and thereby growing them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). By accepting yourself, you will change. And though it may seem counterintuitive, it won’t work the other way around. Acceptance is the key. Change is the door that can’t unlock itself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Go where you can use your talents. You need to be put in a position that speaks to your strengths. Otherwise, you will be in a constant state of resistance and dreading the next step.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You love it when people inspire wonderful feelings in you that you can’t quite define. Your interactions with others will give you something that will be fun to process in the days to come.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). How can you expect yourself to attain a goal if you have no system of accountability? Enlist others in your process. Trying to work alone is both harder and unnecessary.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your priorities may seem idiosyncratic to others, and that’s just one of the ways by which you know they are specific to you. Also, something just feels right about the way you strive to structure your life these days.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. This year highlights your determined and intense side. You’ll make a discovery in the next seven weeks that shapes your work for years to come and allows you to make more money, too. People are drawn to your natural enthusiasm, and you’ll attract friendship and romance in June. Family additions come in December. Pisces and Gemini people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 14, 32, 5 and 18.

ARIES SOLAR WRAP-UP: Venus has already split, and before the week is up, the sun and Mars will leave Aries, too, and take their energy with them. What will we do without the zesty freshness and amped-up physicality that Aries energy brings? In a word: work. The solar journey through Taurus lends practicality, stamina and determination. What we couldn’t accomplish with beginner’s luck, we’ll have to do with persistence.

If there’s a rule associated with the Taurus solar journey, it is Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hours rule that was introduced in his book “Outliers,” which claims that mastery in any field happens as a result of practicing at a specific task for a total of 10,000 hours. The Taurus sun celebrates dedication and rewards baby steps. The minutes and hours add up.

It is important now to look back at the past four weeks and make assessments. Much was added to our lives during the Aries sun – relationships, responsibilities, interests, material items – and you can’t move them all forward. So which endeavors are worth committing to? Claim a new goal that you’re likely to make a dent in during the upcoming Taurus solar journey.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Aries reality star Kourtney Kardashian has grown accustomed to living her life in front of the camera, and her natal chart suggests that she has the disposition not to take any of what she does in the name of entertainment too seriously. With her sun, Mercury and Mars all in Aries, she can be impulsive and wild, but with a grounded Capricorn moon, she’s ultra-serious when it comes to money.

If you would like to write to Holiday Mathis, please go to www.creators.com and click on “Write the Author” on the Holiday Mathis page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail.